Device for processing flat fish

ABSTRACT

An apparatus and method for processing fish (24), especially sole, is disclosed. The apparatus includes a frame having a longitudinal axis along the direction of movement of the fish as they are processed. The fish are placed onto a conveyor (200) that includes blocks (204) for centering the fish and advancing them parallel to the longitudinal axis of the frame and into jaws (202). The jaws open as the fish passes through and measure each fish as well as help center the fish. The length measurement taken by the jaws is sent to a logic controller that determines the approximate dimensions of the fish. The controller uses this information to activate cutters at the proper times. The cutters include dorsal and anal fin cutters (212, 210), a tail cutter (214), and a head and organ cutter (216). The fish is carried into the cutters by spiked belts (222, 224, 230, 232, 234). The belts also transport the fish through an exit chute (362) into more processing equipment or simply into an exit bin. Circular blades (312, 314) are used for the dorsal and anal fin cutters. The blades are moved transverse to the longitudinal axis of the frame as they cut the fins. The tail cutter and head and organ cutter are constructed of flat steel bars with serrated edges. These cutters are activated at the proper time by the logic controller to swing around and cut off the tail, head, and organs.

This is a continuation of the prior application Ser. No. 08/097,966,filed Jul. 27, 1993, the benefit of the filing date of which are herebyclaimed under 35 U.S.C. § 120, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,378,194.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to fish processing equipment, and morespecifically, to equipment designed to cut the heads, organs, tails, andfins off of flat fish, such as sole.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Commercial fishermen catch and process tons of fish a day. Manyfishermen have complex, highly automated processing equipment thatdresses the fish and produces numerous different commercial products forcommercial retailers, such as restaurant chains or grocery stores. Suchequipment is highly specialized to perform a specific task, such ascutting the heads and tails off, filleting, deboning and skinning, etc.One of the reasons such equipment must be tailored to specific tasks isthe large variety of shapes and sizes of fish processed, includingpollock, salmon, trout, sole, cod, etc.

To reduce overall processing costs and to improve quality, somecommercial fishing vessels include processing equipment and freezerslocated directly on the ships. As the fish are caught, they areimmediately processed and frozen, substantially improving the quality ofthe final product. This also allows the vessels to remain at sea forlong periods of time without transporting the fish to a shore-basedprocessing facility. Most of the processing equipment is large, complex,and expensive. It is difficult and expensive to remove the processingequipment from the vessel and replace it with new processing equipment.

Because of the expense associated with exchanging the processingequipment, including vessel down time, most commercial processing shipsare intended to catch and process specific types of fish. As an example,the vessel may be fitted with processing equipment designed to processgenerally oval fish having a relatively thick cross section, such aspollock or salmon, or generally flat fish having a relatively thin crosssection, such as sole. Due to the natural migration of fish, and variousfishing laws, individual types of fish are caught and processed duringlimited times of the year. Therefore, vessels having equipment capableof processing only one type of fish sit idle during long periods of theyear. If the processing equipment were available to process flat fish,such as sole, the vessels could be operated over a larger part of theyear. This would, in turn, reduce the amount of down time and associatedexpense for the vessels.

One manufacturer of fish processing equipment is Baader GmbH & Co. KG,Lubeck, Germany ("Baader"). One of the many fish processing machinesproduced by Baader is the Baader 182. The Baader 182 is designed toprocess pollock and salmon-shaped fish and includes a conveyor having aplurality of fish holders mounted along the length of the conveyor. Eachfish holder includes a recess configured to receive a pollock. While theprocessor is operating, a worker removes fish from a fish hopper locatednext to the conveyor and places an individual pollock in the recess ofeach fish holder. The conveyor subsequently moves the fish holders andpollock along the length of the conveyor into contact with rotatingblades that cut both the head and the tail of the pollock off. The bodyof the pollock is then carried to additional equipment that cuts thepollock into fillets and removes the bones and skin.

The Baader 182 works well with fish having an oval cross section, suchas pollock, but does not allow other types of fish to be processed. TheBaader 182 is particularly unsuitable for processing fish with arelative flat cross section, such as sole. The fish holders used on theBaader 182 are not capable of holding such fish during processing. Norcan the Baader 182 remove the dorsal and anal fins of a flat fish.

In addition to having a relatively thin cross section, the body of asole also has a smaller length to height ratio than pollock or salmon,i.e., the body of a sole is more oval-shaped when viewed from the side.The shape of the sole presents additional problems in processing. Theorientation of the body of the sole must be carefully maintained toensure that the head, tail, and dorsal and anal fins are removed in sucha way as to leave the majority of the body intact. If the orientation ofthe sole is improper, the sole tends to be cut at angles that eitherremove too much of the body or leave parts of the head or tail.Therefore, it is important that the sole or similarly-shaped fish becarefully centered within the fish holders or belts before and/or whilebeing brought into contact with the cutting knives.

Therefore, one goal of the present invention is to provide equipment toprocess flat fish, such as sole, to quickly and efficiently removeheads, tails, anal and dorsal fins, and internal organs. Another goal ofthe present invention is to allow processing equipment to center flatfish within the processing equipment and accurately cutting along outerbody shapes while holding the fish, such that the head, tail fins, andorgans, may be removed without costly losses of meat.

Additionally, the fish may be fed directly into other equipment to, forexample, fillet and/or skin the sole or other flat fish. Another goal ofthe present invention is to speed the entire process such that fewermachines are actually required to accomplish the task and/or the timebetween catching and freezing the fish is shortened to provide an evenfresher fish product.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a fish processor for removing the head,internal organs, dorsal and anal fins, and tail of flat fish, especiallysole. The equipment of the present invention may be installed aboardship to process fish as they are being caught. Because of thecapabilities of the equipment of the present invention, ships now idleduring some periods of the year will be able to fish and process fishfor longer periods since they can process flat fish in addition to otherfish quickly and efficiently. The equipment of the present invention canbe coupled to other processing equipment such as filet machines andskinning machines. The freshly caught fish are simply sent through theequipment of the present invention and channeled through the otherequipment to then be taken directly to a freezer. Thus, the laborintensive and dangerous job of cutting up the fish by hand can beeliminated.

The preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present inventionincludes a mechanism for advancing the fish in a downstream direction. Adevice for measuring the length of the fish as the fish are advanced isalso coupled with the advancing mechanism. Based on the length of thefish, a logic circuit or computer calculates the approximate geometry ofthe fish. At least one fin cutter removes the dorsal and anal fins ofthe fish in response to signals generated about the geometry of thefish. A tail cutter removes the tail from the fish as the fish isadvanced. The tail cutter is coupled with the advancing mechanismdownstream of the measuring device. A head and organ cutter is alsocoupled with the advancing mechanism downstream of the measuring device.The head and organ cutter removes the head and organs in response tosignals from the logic circuit or computer.

In one embodiment of the invention, the advancing mechanism includes aholder for holding and centering the fish so that the fish may be cutalong selected paths. The fish holder includes a conveyor, a holdingmeans, and a centering means. The conveyor has an upper surface uponwhich the fish rests before being cut up. The holding means extendupwardly from the tray and over at least a part of the upper surface forsecuring the fish between the upper surface and the holding means. Thecentering means center the fish on the fish holder as the fish is placedand advanced on the fish holder.

A preferred embodiment of the invention includes an exit drive attachedto the frame downstream of the cutters. The exit drive includes at leastone drive belt for further advancing the fish after it has been cut. Theexit drive preferably includes channeling arranged and configured todirect the fish into a filet machine.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention the advancing mechanismincludes a conveyor having blocks attached on an outer surface forming a"V" shape within which the head of the fish is placed and the fishadvanced to the measuring device. The conveyor preferably includes acentral channel within which the tail of the fish is placed in thedownstream direction such that the fish advances tail first. A tailspring is attached to the conveyor over the central channel. The tailspring is arranged and configured to place a downward force on the fishinto the central channel as the fish advances beneath the tail spring toaid in centering the fish.

In one embodiment of the invention the measuring device comprises anelectric eye that indicates to the computer when the tail and the headof the fish each pass a predetermined longitudinal location.

In the preferred embodiment the measuring device comprises jaws biasedto a closed position. The jaws include a funnel portion through whichthe fish pass as they are advanced and a sensor to detect the openingand closing of the jaws. The opening and closing of the jaws areindicated to the computer. Preferably, the jaws also aid in centeringthe fish as they pass through the funnel portion. The jaws have two armsthat are interlinked such that movement of one arm of the jaws causes anequal but opposite movement of the other arm.

In the preferred embodiment the advancing means also include a firstdrive belt having a means to engage the fish. One span of the beltextends generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the frame.Preferably, the drive belt is arranged and configured to advance thefish from the measuring device through the at least one fin cutter forremoving the dorsal and anal fins of the fish. A second drive belt isalso disposed opposite the first drive belt. The second drive belt hasone span extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of theframe opposite the span of the first drive belt that extends parallel tothe longitudinal axis of the frame.

Preferably, the at least one fin cutter includes a right fin cutter anda left fin cutter. The right fin cutter is disposed adjacent and to theright of the first drive belt. The left fin cutter is disposed adjacentand to the left of the first drive belt. The right fin cutter comprisesa first circular blade and first means to rotate the first circularblade. The left fin cutter comprises a second circular blade and secondmeans to rotate the second circular blade. The blades are disposed at apredetermined angle to the longitudinal axis of the frame. A blademovement mechanism moves the right and left circular blades in right andleft directions transverse to the longitudinal axis of the frame inresponse to the computer so that the contours of the fish areapproximately followed as the fins are cut.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the tail cuttercomprises a tall blade and a tall cutter drive means activated by thecomputer to cut the tall of the fish as it passes a predeterminedlongitudinal location. The tall blade is rectangular in shape, havingserrations on its leading edge. The tail cutter drive means are arrangedand configured to rotate the blade in a direction transverse to thelongitudinal axis of the frame to cut the tail of the fish. Preferably,the tall cutter also includes a water jet arranged and configured tospray the tail away from the fish after it is cut.

Also, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, the head and organcutter comprises a head and organ blade and a head and organ cutterdrive means. The drive means are activated by the computer to cut thehead and internal organs of the fish from the fish as it passes apredetermined longitudinal location. The head and organ cutter drivemeans are arranged and configured to rotate the head and organ blade ina path generally transverse to the longitudinal axis of the frame to cutthrough the fish. The blade is comprises a serrated blade having threerectangular sections connected together. The first section cuts throughthe fish behind the head. The second section angles back past theorgans. The third section cuts behind the organs. From the combinationof the three cutting sections the head and organs are cut from the fishwith one strike of the head and organ blade.

The present invention also includes a method for removing the head,organs, dorsal fin, anal fin, and tall of a fiat fish. The preferredsteps of the method include (a) placing the fish, tail first, eyes up,on a conveyor; (b) centering the fish on the conveyor while the fish isbeing advanced; (c) measuring the length of the fish while the fish isbeing advanced; (d) calculating the approximate dimensions of the fishbased on the length determination; (e) advancing the fish throughcircular dorsal and anal fin cutting blades, the circular blades movingtransversely as they cut so as to cut around the contour of the fish asthe fish is advanced; (f) cutting the tail from the fish as the fish isadvanced with a tail blade; (g) cutting the head and organs from thefish with a head and organ blade as the fish continues to advance; and(h) advancing the fish through an exit chute.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of thisinvention will become more readily appreciated as the same becomesbetter understood by reference to the following detailed description,when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the processing steps throughwhich a sole is taken in cutting of the fins, head, and organs from thefish;

FIG. 2 is a simplified perspective view of the invention illustratingthe main operative components that contact the fish as they areprocessed;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the conveyor belt of the presentinvention including measuring jaws;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the details of the transversemovement mechanism of the fin cutters;

FIG. 5 illustrates the operation of the fin and tail cutters of thepresent invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the operation of the head andorgan cutter of the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating the advancement of theprocessed fish into another fish processing machine or exit chute.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be describedwith respect to FIGS. 1-7. The preferred embodiment shown is designed toprocess flat fish 24, such as sole, by running them tail first from aconveyor 200 on which they are placed through a series of cutters thatremove the fins, tail, head, and organs, after which the fish ischanneled into an output bin or additional processing equipment such asa filet machine and/or skinning machine.

FIG. 1 shows schematically the steps carried out by the equipmentdescribed below in detail with reference to FIGS. 2-7. The apparatus ofthe present invention is used to remove the fins, tail, head, andinternal organs from a sole prior to running the sole through afilleting machine and skinning machine. Throughout this description, theword "fins" refers to the dorsal and anal fins of the sole, the "rightfin" being the anal fin on the right side of the sole as the eyes of thesole are placed up, and the "left fin" being the dorsal fin. Theinternal organs of a sole are located behind and to the right of thehead of the sole.

Referring to FIG. 1, a fish 24 is placed on a conveyor 200 that movesthe fish downstream from right to left into jaws 202 that operate as afish sizing device to measure the length of the fish 24. As the fish 24is moved downstream, conveyor blocks 204 center the fish 24 and helppush it along into jaws 202. Jaws 202 include a sensor 206 that measuresthe amount of time that the jaws 202 are pushed apart by the fish 24 asit travels between them. Because the speed of the conveyor 200 and,accordingly, fish 24 is known, a computer connected to the sensor 206can calculate the length of the fish. The computer then uses thecalculated length to retrieve from a database the dimensions of acharacteristic sole having the measured length. The retrieved dimensionsof the characteristic sole are then used by the computer to timelyactivate a series of cutting blades used to remove the fins, tail, head,and internal organs, as explained in more detail below.

Fin cutters 210, 212 are the blades first reached by the fish 24. Afterpassing through the jaws 202, the fins of the fish 24 are removed bythese two fin cutters: a right fin cutter 210 and a left fin cutter 212.Relying upon the dimensions of a characteristic sole calculated above,the computer activates a mechanism to move the fin cutters 210, 212 inor out as the fish 24 advances, as shown by the arrows in FIG. 1.Preferably, fin cutters 210 and 212 are positional so that the fins arecompletely removed and a minimal amount of valuable fish is lost. Afterthe fins are removed, the body of the sole advances past a tail cutter214. The computer activates the tail cutter 214 at the proper time toremove the tail of the fish. The fish continues to move downstream,where the computer activates a head and organ cutter 216 at the correcttime to cut off the head and internal organs as the fish 24 passes by.

A body portion having tail, fins, head, and internal organs removedremains. Preferably, drive belts then feed this remaining portion intoadditional processing equipment (not shown) that cuts the body into twofillets and removes the skin to produce the final product. The finalproduct is then frozen for storage and shipment.

The advantages to a system such as that described above with referenceto FIG. 1, are numerous. For example, the system greatly reducesprocessing time per fish as compared with other systems. The systemfeeds the fish 24 through the processing stages in one direction, tailfirst, to remove fins, tail, head, and organs in one quick pass withoutreorienting the fish 24. Sole can be run through the apparatus atapproximately 80 to 120 fish per minute more than twice as fast as mostcurrent systems that perform the same functions.

Feeding the fish 24 through the equipment tail-first inherently providesanother advantage. Since most filet machines, such as the Baader Model175, are designed to receive fiat fish tail first rather than sideways,no handling is required between the cutting apparatus of the presentinvention and the feed into the fillet machine. Also, many machinessimply remove the head, internal organs, and tail of the fish 24,leaving the fins to be removed by hand before feeding the fish intoother equipment for filleting. This extra step not only slows themechanical process, but requires additional man-hours of work, and thusincreases expense. With the cutting apparatus of the present invention,workers simply hand feed the fish 24 onto the conveyor 200 from a bin(not shown) containing the fish 24. The workers place the head of thefish 24 between the conveyor blocks 204 and the tail in the center ofthe conveyor 200, as described below. The workers do not handledangerously sharp knives or other hazardous equipment.

The cutting apparatus of the present invention also results indiminished waste, since the computer-controlled cutters quite accuratelyremove the right amount of material from the fish 24 without cuttingexcessively into the meat of the fish.

FIG. 2 presents an overall view of the major elements of a cuttingapparatus formed in accordance with the present invention. The cuttingapparatus advances the fish 24 through four processing stages orstations. A first station 218 includes the conveyor 200 and measuringjaws 202. A second station 220 includes a first drive belt 222 and asecond drive belt 224, as well as the right and left fin cutters 210,212. A third station 226 includes the tail cutter 214 and the head andorgan cutter 216. Finally, a fourth station 228 includes a third drivebelt 230, fourth drive belts 232, an exit belt 234, and an exit guide236.

Referring now to the first station 218, shown in FIG. 2, the conveyor200 comprises a split belt that runs in a direction parallel to thelongitudinal axis of the cutting apparatus of the present invention. Thesplit belt comprises dual endless side-by-side belts that carry the fish24 to be measured and cut. Blocks 204 are attached to the outer surfacesof each of the belts to push the fish 24 through the jaws 202 and intothe drive belts 222, 224. The blocks 204 are oriented at approximately a45 degree angle to the longitudinal axis of the conveyor 200 such that apair of blocks 204, one set of two end-to-end blocks on each belt, formsa V shape into which the head and forward portion of the body of thefish 24 are placed. The downstream-facing surface of the blocks 204,which abuts up against the head and forward portion of the fish 24, isconcave, such that as the fish 24 is pushed into the jaws 202 and drivebelts 222, 224, it is held from slipping out of the blocks 204. Thespacing between sets of blocks 204 on the conveyor 200 is enough tospace the fish 24 apart so that minimal or no overlap is achieved (seeFIG. 3). Thus, the blocks 204 function as a holding means to secure andadvance the fish 24 on the upper surface of the conveyor 200.

The jaws 202 are attached to the conveyor 200 at the downstream end ofthe conveyor 200, toward which the fish 24 are fed by the movement ofthe conveyor 200. As a fish 24 passes through the jaws 202, the lengthof the fish 24 is measured, and the fish 24 is centered. The first andsecond drive belts 222, 224 grasp the fish 24 before it passescompletely through the jaws 202.

The first drive belt 222 runs within a vertical plane oriented along thecentral axis of the cutting apparatus. A first belt drive wheel 240 nearthe conveyor 200 moves first drive belt 222. A first idler wheel 242 isdisposed downstream from the first belt drive wheel 240 such that thespan of the first drive belt 222, between the first belt drive wheel 240and the first idler wheel 242, is parallel to the longitudinal axis ofthe cutting apparatus. A first tensioner wheel 244 is also providedbetween the first belt drive wheel 240 and the first idler wheel 242 onan upper span of the first drive belt 222. The first tensioner wheel 244is spring-loaded to keep the first drive belt 222 in proper tension as afish 24 passes under it. The first drive belt 222 includes spikesprotruding outwardly. These spikes engage the fish 24 and assure that ittravels properly through the second station 220 of the cutting apparatuswithout slippage. The three first belt wheels 240, 242, 244 cause thefirst drive belt 222 to assume a generally triangular shape, the longestside of the triangle being that which contacts and drives the fish 24through the second station 220. Note that the illustration anddescription of means to rotatably hold and drive the belt wheels hasbeen omitted for clarity. Those skilled in the art will be able toeasily devise adequate mechanisms to do so.

The second drive belt 224 substantially mirrors the first drive belt 222about a horizontal plane just below the lower span of the first drivebelt 222. The second drive belt 224 is driven by a second belt drivewheel 246 disposed opposite the first belt drive wheel 240. A secondidler wheel 248 is disposed opposite the first idler wheel 242 at thedownstream end of the second drive belt 224. Finally, a second tensionerwheel 250 is the lowest wheel of the second drive belt 224. The secondtensioner wheel 250 is positioned and spring-biased to keep tension inthe second drive belt 224. As with the first drive belt 222, the seconddrive belt 224 also includes spikes protruding outwardly from the beltto engage the fish 24 and assure its proper progression through thesecond station 220, especially as the fish 24 is being cut. Avoidance ofslippage is critical, since the positioning of the belt is recorded andinput into the computer so that signals to the cutters are sent at theproper times when a fish 24 is to be in the predetermined positions.

The lower span of the first drive belt 222 is guided by first hold-downblocks 252. First hold-down blocks 252 are spring-biased in a downwarddirection such that the belt stays in contact with the fish 24 duringmovement of the fish 24 between the first drive belt 222 and the seconddrive belt 224. The hold-down blocks 252 include a channel that facesdownwardly and engages over the back portion of the lower span of thefirst drive belt 222. This is the side of the belt 222 from which spikesdo not protrude. A first platform 254 is disposed opposite the hold-downblocks 252 adjacent to and underneath the upper span of the second drivebelt 224. Thus, the fish 24 runs between the upper span of the seconddrive belt 224 on the first platform 254 and the lower span of the firstdrive belt 222 under the hold-down blocks 252 when in the second station220.

The first platform 254 narrows as it approaches the right and left fincutters 210, 212 to allow room for inward movement of the fin cutters.The right and left fin cutters 210, 212 are positioned near thedownstream end of the first and second drive belts 222,224 just upstreamof the first and second idler wheels 242, 248. Further details ofoperation of the fin cutters 210, 212 will be described below inconnection with FIGS. 4 and 5.

Still referring to FIG. 2, as the tail of the fish 24 passes into thethird station 226 of the cutting apparatus over a head drop plate 256,the tail cutter 214 cuts the tail and the tail is pushed from the pathof the fish 24, as described in detail below with reference to FIG. 5.At this point, the head and a portion of the body of the fish 24 arestill engaged in the first and second drive belts 222, 224, and the fish24 continues to travel downstream. A portion of the fish 24 advancesbetween the third and fourth drive belts 230, 232 before the head of thefish 24 exits from the first and second drive belts 222, 224. Once thehead of the fish 24 exits from the first and second drive belts 222,224, it is in a proper position to be cut by the head and organ cutter216. The head and organ cutter 216 quickly rotates to remove the headand internal organs as the fish 24 advances downstream. Further detailsof this third station 226 will be described below in connection withFIGS. 5 and 6.

As mentioned above, the fourth station 228 of the cutting apparatus ofthe present invention includes the third and fourth drive belts 230,232, the exit belt 234, and the exit guide 236. The third drive belt 230is similar to the first drive belt 224, except that a third belt drivewheel 262 is positioned at the extreme downstream end of the drive beltwhile a third idler wheel 258 is at the upstream end instead of thereverse. The third drive belt 230 is positioned within a vertical planethat runs through the central axis of the cutting apparatus. A thirdbelt tensioner wheel 260 is positioned above the third belt drive wheel262 and the third belt idler wheel 258 such that a triangular shape isformed from the belt with the longest span of the triangle being that onthe lower portion of the belt between the third belt idler wheel 258 andthird belt drive wheel 262. This lower span of belt is collinear withthe lower span of the first drive belt 222. The third drive belt 230also includes spikes that protrude outwardly to grip the fish 24.

The fourth drive belts 232 are positioned beneath the third drive belt230. The fourth drive belts 232 comprise a dual-belt system. Two beltswith outwardly facing spikes travel between three wheels, a fourth beltidler wheel 264, a fourth belt tensioner wheel 266, and an exit drivewheel 268. The belts 232 are separated by a space slightly wider thanthe drive belts. This allows an exit belt 234 to be coupled to the exitdrive wheel 268 between the two fourth drive belts 232. The fourth drivebelts 232 also form a triangular shape, with the longest span of thetriangle being the upper span, which contacts and engages the fish 24and moves it into the exit guide 236. The exit belt 234, since it isconnected to the exit drive wheel 268, which also drives the fourthdrive belt 232, runs at the same speed as the fourth drive belt 232 tocontinue the progress of the fish 24 through an exit chute 362 into abin or another machine (not shown). Further details of the fourthstation 228 of the cutting apparatus of the present invention will bedescribed in connection with FIG. 7.

FIG. 3 illustrates the details of the first station 218 of the cuttingapparatus of the present invention. In operation, workers place the fish24 on the belt of the conveyor 200 with the tail in a channel 270 thatruns down the center of the conveyor 200 between the two sides of thesplit belt. The belt runs over rollers that are connected to theconveyor frame 272. The conveyor frame 272 is connected to the mainframe of the entire cutting apparatus. As explained above, the head andforward portion of the fish 24 are placed within the blocks 204, whichare attached to the outer surface of the conveyor 200. The blocks 204form a generally V shape with the point of the V being removed, suchthat the head extends therethrough. These blocks 204 tend to center thefish 24 on the conveyor 200 while serving to advance the fish 24 throughthe jaws 202 and into the drive belts 222, 224. Fish 24 are placed onthe conveyor 200 with their eyes facing upwardly, such that the organsof the fish 24 are on the right side of the fish 24 so as to be properlyremoved with the head and organ cutter 216, as illustrated in FIG. 6.Quick, error-free placement of the fish 24 in this orientation is notdifficult, since the upper side of the fish 24 is typically a darkercolor than the under side. The fish 24 may be placed on the conveyor 200by workers standing on one side or the other of the conveyor 200, or byany other means, such as another conveyor system. If workers are used toplace the fish on the conveyor 200, the length of the conveyor 200 maybe extended so that two or three workers may be positioned side-by-side,all having access to a fish bin (not shown).

The conveyor 200 is driven by a conveyor drive chain 276 that is coupledto a forward roller 278 of the conveyor 200 through a gear. The conveyordrive chain 276 extends to a motor (not shown) controlled by thecomputer to advance the fish 24 through the conveyor 200 and into thedrive belts 222, 224 of the second station 220 at a desired speed.

The downstream end of the conveyor 200 includes the jaws 202 thatmeasure the length of the fish 24. Before the fish 24 enters the jaws202, a tail spring 274 places a downward force on the tail of the fish24 to keep it within the channel 270 down the center of the belt tofurther accurately center the fish 24 before it is fed through themeasuring jaws 202 and into the drive belts 222, 224. Preferably, thespring 274 is constructed of spring steel and connected above the centerof the conveyor 200 at the downstream end of the conveyor 200. The endof the spring 274 is pointed toward the downstream end of the conveyor200. The end of the spring 274 tapers toward its center in a downstreamdirection and includes flanges on its sides that are directed downwardlyto ride over the fish 24 and align the tail end of the fish 24.

As the fish 24 is advanced under the tail spring 274, it enters the jaws202 and begins to separate them as the body of the fish enters into afunnel portion 280 at the end of the jaws 202. The jaws 202 areconstructed with two arms, a left arm 282 and a right arm 284, thatpivot about a left jaw pivot 286 and a right jaw pivot 288,respectively, located on opposite sides of the conveyor 200. The arms282, 284 extend inwardly and downstream of the jaw pivots 286, 288. Thefunnel portion 280 is connected at the downstream end of the arms 282,284. The funnel portion 280 has somewhat of a funnel shape when closedtogether before the fish 24 enters the funnel. The wide end of thefunnel portion 280 connects to the arms 282, 284 of the jaws 202.Springs 290 bias the arms 282, 284 in a closed direction with the funnelportions 280 together. The springs 290 are disposed at the upstream endof the arms 282, 284. The springs 290 are connected between the conveyorframe 272 and spring projections 292 extending inwardly toward thecenter of the conveyor 200 from the upstream ends of the arms 282, 284such that the springs 290 pull on the inside of the jaw pivots 286, 288.This biasing of the arms 282, 284 toward the center of the conveyor 200causes the funnel to ride along the contours of a fish 24 as it isadvanced out the end of the conveyor 200.

The arms 282, 284 and a jaw linkage 294 that interconnects the arms 282,284 at their upstream ends also aids in centering the fish 24 as it isfed into the second-station drive belts 222, 224. The jaw linkage 294comprises a first link 296, fixed to the left arm 282; a second link298, pivotally attached to the first link 296; and a third link 300,pivotally attached to the second link 298. The third link 300 is fixedto the right arm 284 at the right jaw pivot 288 through the verticalaxle of the right jaw pivot 288. The first link 296 is fixed to the leftarm 282 at the left jaw pivot 286 through the vertical axle of the leftjaw pivot 286. The first link 296 is connected above the left arm 282 sothat there is proper clearance between it and the left jaw spring 290.The first link 296 extends a short distance in a generally upstreamdirection, where it is pivotally connected at its upstream end to thesecond link 298. The third link 300 is pivotally connected to the rightjaw pivot 288 in a manner similar to the connection of the first link296 to the left jaw pivot 286. The third link 300 does not move relativeto the right arm 284 such that movement of the right arm 284 also movesthe third link 300. The third link 300 extends from the right jaw pivot288 in a generally downstream direction to a pivotal connection with thesecond link 298 at its downstream end. The second link 298 extends fromthe upstream end of the first link 296 to the downstream end of thethird link 300 to thereby span across the top of the conveyor 200. Withthe arms 282, 284 in a closed position, the first link 296 and the thirdlink 300 are oriented generally parallel to one another. The length ofthe first link 296 between its connection to the left jaw pivot 286 andthe second link 298 is substantially the same as the length of the thirdlink 300 between the right jaw pivot 288 and the second link 298.Because of this configuration of the jaw linkage 294, the opening of thearms 282, 284 and funnel portions 280 of the jaws 202 are controlledsuch that each opens at the same rate, and thus the same distance. Asthe advancing fish 24 forces the jaws 202 open, the fish is centeredwithin the jaws 202 and as it is fed into the drive belts 222, 224 ofthe second station 220.

The length sensor 206 of the invention will now be described. The lengthsensor 206 includes a measuring strip 302 that is connected to the rightarm 284 of the jaws 202 and an magnetic sensor 304 that senses when thestrip 302 passes in front of it. The measuring strip 302 is made up of astrip of metal that is bent into a segment of a circle with a centerpoint being the right jaw pivot 288. The strip 302 is attached on itsleft side to the right arm 284 of the measuring jaws 202. The right sideof the measuring strip 302 is also connected to the right arm 284 of themeasuring jaws 202 through a support member 306 that extends to theright jaw pivot 288. The magnetic sensor 304 indicates to the computerwhen the measuring strip 302 passes in front of it. The measuring strip302 is arranged such that it passes in front of the magnetic sensor 304when the jaws 202 begin to open and remains in front of the sensor 206during the entire time that the jaws 202 are open. Thus, the length ofthe fish 24 can be calculated by the computer based on the time the jaws202 are open and the speed of the conveyor 200. This data can then beused to derive the general dimensions of the fish 24 so that the cuttersof the apparatus of the present invention can be moved accordingly asdescribed below.

Preferably, the general dimensions of a sole are derived from a databasecontaining at least five sets of data for the sole. Based on the lengthof the fish 24, one of the five sets of data about the overalldimensions are selected. The distribution of sole lengths is generallyGaussian with each of the five sets of data selected from five places onthe normal curve. In the preferred embodiment, one of the five sets ofdata contains the general dimensions of a sole with a length falling atthe median of the normal distribution. Second and third sets of data arefrom plus and minus one standard deviation. Fourth and fifth sets arefrom plus and minus two standard deviations. In operation, if the lengthof a sole is determined to be between the median and one standarddeviation, the dimensions of a sole of median length are used. The nextsmallest set of data is used since it is important for quality to cutslightly too much meat from the fish 24 rather than leaving some of afin. Obviously, more or fewer sets of data could be stored and accessed,depending on the operating speed of the equipment relative to theprocessor speed. If the processor is fast enough, standard sets of dataneed not be used, the dimensions of each fish 24 passing through couldbe calculated from its length. In the current preferred embodiment, thespeeds are such that the above-described five sets of data are used sothat the processor can send the signals to the cutters in time.

An alternative method of measuring the length of the fish includes usingan electric eye that senses when the tail of the fish interrupts a beamof light that would pass downstream of the funnel portion 280 of thejaws 202 and upstream of the first and second drive belts 222, 224. Aperson skilled in the art will appreciate that various otherelectromechanical or electrical sensors could be employed to measure thelength of the fish 24.

As a fish 24 passes through the funnel portions 280 of the measuringjaws 202, it enters between the first and second drive belts 222, 224 ofthe second station 220 of the apparatus of the present invention (seeFIG. 2). The fish 24 travels between these belts to the fin cutters 210,212. As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the fin cutters 210, 212 removethe left and right fins from the fish 24 as the fish 24 is advanced.Please note that the first drive belt 222 has been removed from FIG. 4for clarity of illustration of the fin cutter motors 308, 310 andcarriages 316, 318. The fin cutters 210, 212 include left and right fincutter motors 308, 310 connected to left and right circular blades 312,314, respectively. The circular blades 312, 314 angle away from thevertical plane containing the first and second drive belts 222, 224 atabout 15° to 20° in a downstream direction. This angle of cut of thecircular blades 312, 314 allows the blades to follow the contour of theadvancing fish 24. The blades 312, 314 can move both outwardly andinwardly to cut the fins from the advancing fish 24 without the face ofthe blades obstructing their transverse movement. The right and left fincutters 210, 212 are in a narrow configuration near the first and seconddrive belts 222, 224 as the fish 24 begins to be cut by the left andright circular blades 312, 314 so that the portion of the fins at thenarrow portion of the fish near the tail can be trimmed. As the fishcontinues to advance in a downstream direction, the fin cutters 210, 212are moved outwardly and then inwardly in directions perpendicular to themovement of the fish 24 such that the fish contours are approximatelyfollowed in cutting away the left and right fins. This movement iscontrolled by the computer, which has converted the length data obtainedas described above into approximate side contour data.

The mechanisms that move the left and right fin cutters 210, 212 arealso illustrated in FIG. 4. Right and left carriages 316, 318 are usedto move the motors 308, 310 transverse to the direction of movement ofthe fish 24. Right and left carriages 316, 318 ride on carriage riderrods 320, which are attached to the main frame of the cutting apparatusof the present invention. These rods 320 are disposed above right andleft fin cutters 210, 212 and run parallel to each other andperpendicular to the drive belts 222, 224 in a horizontal plane.Carriage plates 322, having U-shaped cross sections, run from onecarriage rider rod 320 to the other and are slidably attached to thecarriage rider rods 320 by rider wheels 324. Rider wheels 324 aresecured both above and below each carriage rider rod 320. Each carriageplate 322 has four sets of rider wheels 324 such that the carriage plate322 and its connected fin cutter motor 308, 310 can only move transverseto the direction of movement of the fish 24. The fin cutter motors 308,310 are not allowed to pivot or swing in any direction.

The bottom portion of the carriage plates 322 are connected totransverse drive chains 326 above each motor 308, 310 to move thecarriage plates 322 and their connected fin cutter motors 308, 310 alongthe carriage rider rods 320. The transverse drive chains 326 runparallel to the carriage rider rods 320 and are connected to carriagemotors 328. Transverse drive chains 326 extend around drive gears 330 atthe carriage motors 328 and idler gears 332 positioned inward of thedrive gears 330 toward the center of the cutting apparatus of thepresent invention. The carriage motors 328 are computer controlled suchthat they drive the fin cutter motors 308, 310 in and out to conform tothe contours of a fish 24 advancing through the circular blades 312, 314as explained above.

FIG. 5 illustrates the cutting of the tail of the fish 24 as it isadvanced downstream of the first and second drive belts 222, 224. Thetail cutter 214 includes a tail blade 334 that is rotatably connected tothe frame of the cutting apparatus of the present invention on the leftside of the drive belts adjacent the space between the first and seconddrive belts 222, 224 and the third and fourth drive belts 230, 232. Theblade 334 rotates in a vertical plane perpendicular to the direction ofmovement of the fish 24. The blade 334 is rotated with a tail bladedrive 336, which includes a drive gear and chain connected to a drivemotor (not shown).

As the fish 24 advances to the proper location, the computer sends asignal to the tall cutter drive motor, which then rotates the blade360°. The blade 334 includes serrations on its leading edge, whichquickly and cleanly cut through the tail portion of the fish 24, cuttingthe entire tail fin from the fish. As the tail blade 334 makes its 360°rotation and cuts through the fish 24, it moves between a head dropplate 256 and a head and organ cutter plate 344. These two plates 256,344 will be described in more detail below in connection with FIG. 6.

A water jet 338, which is connected to the frame, sprays a water jetstream onto a support plate 340 and the head and organ cutter plate 344on which the tail lies. The water jet stream pushes the tail to the sideto drop into a waste receptacle (not shown). The water jet stream anglesdown to contact the support plate 340 and tail at approximately 20°. Theforce of the water jet stream is sufficient to move the tail aside whilenot upsetting the centering or position of the fish 24 as it passes infront of the water jet stream. The fish 24, besides having more massthan the tail by itself, is engaged in one or both sets of drive beltsfrom the second and fourth stations 220, 228.

Referring now to FIG. 6, the operation of the head and organ cutter 216will be described. The head and organ cutter 216 is disposed on theright side of the cutting apparatus of the present invention, oppositethe tail cutter 214. The head and organ cutter 216 is driven by a headand organ blade drive 346, which connects to a drive motor (not shown).When signaled to do so by the computer, the drive motor rotates a headand organ blade 348 in a vertical plane perpendicular to the directionof travel of the fish 24. In this manner, the head of the fish, alongwith the internal organs of the fish, are cut away. To do so, theconfiguration of the head and organ blade 348 is in three portions. Afirst portion 350, perpendicular to the direction of travel of the fish24, cuts behind the head of the fish 24. A second portion 352, which isangled at about 45°, is welded to the first portion. This portion cutstoward the tail end of the fish 24 around the fish organs. A thirdportion 354 is welded to the second portion 352 and is oriented at asecond angle of about 30° from the first portion 350. This third portion354 of the head and organ blade 348 finishes the cut behind the internalorgans of the fish 24 such that the combination of the three portions ofthe blade completely severs the head and internal organs from theremainder of the fish. The head and organ blade 348, like the tail blade334, has serrations along its leading edge.

The blade 348 is connected to a drive shalt 356 with a support member358 that extends from the blade 348 to the drive shaft 356 and to thehead and organ cutter plate 344. The shape of the cutter plate 344 isdefined by the space in which the head and organ blade 348 must occupyas it removes the head and organs from the fish 24 when it makes its360° rotation. Therefore, the downstream side of the plate has themirror image of the angles of the second and third portions 352, 354 ofthe head and organ blade 348. The upstream side of the head and organcutter plate 344 is perpendicular to the direction of travel of the fish24 and when in place is opposite the head drop plate 256, allowing roomfor the tail blade 334 to pass between the two. When the head and organblade 348 is not in use, the motor positions the head and organ cutterplate 344 such that its top surface is flush with the top surfaces ofthe head drop plate 256 and the support plate 340. By having the headand organ cutter plate 344 positively connected to the head and organblade 348, the plate is necessarily removed from the path of travel ofthe head and organ blade 348 as it removes the head and organs of thefish that are thrown into a waste bin (not shown) beneath the supportplate 340.

Besides the head and organ cutter plate 344 being moved out of the wayfor the head and organ blade 348, the head drop plate 256 is also moveddownwardly so that the head will not be impeded in its downward motionby the head drop plate 256. The movement of the head drop plate 256 in adownward direction is accomplished by a pneumatic actuator 360 connectedto the left side of the head drop plate 256. The head drop plate 256 ispivotally connected to the frame of the cutting apparatus, to the rightof the connection to the pneumatic actuator 360, such that the head dropplate 256 can be pivoted downwardly when necessary by the pneumaticactuator 360.

It should be noted that during these cutting operations, as describedabove, the fish 24 continues to travel into the third and fourth drivebelts 230, 232 (see FIG. 6). Thus, rotational movement of the head andorgan cutter 216 and tail cutter 214 is quick.

At this point, the fish 24 has been properly cut and is ready to beadvanced out of the cutting apparatus into an exit chute 362, which maybe a fillet machine, other processing equipment, or simply a catch bin.

FIG. 7 illustrates the movement of the fish 24 into the exit chute 362.This is the fourth station 228 of the cutting apparatus. As the fish 24advances between the third drive belt 230 and the fourth drive belts232, it is transferred to the exit belt 234, which is coupled betweenthe fourth drive belts 232 on the exit drive wheel 268. A primary exitspring 364 and a secondary exit spring 366 hold the fish against theexit belt 234 and channel the fish into the exit chute 362. The exitbelt 234 leaves the exit drive wheel 268 and runs over a first exitguide block 368, which changes the direction of travel of the belt 234downwardly in the direction of an exit belt idler wheel (not shown). Theprimary exit spring 364 is a flat piece of spring steel that has beencurved slightly to the contour of the first exit guide block 368 and isdisposed above the first exit guide block 368, such that when the tailend of the fish advances, the primary exit spring 364 rides over the topsurface of the fish 24 to move it away from the third drive belt 230.Thus, the direction of movement of the fish 24 is changed fromhorizontal to vertical by the primary exit spring 364 and the exit belt234, which runs over the first exit guide block 368. The fish 24 isfurther channeled into the exit chute 362 by the vertically-orientedsecondary exit spring 366. The secondary exit spring 366 is also made offlat spring steel having a rectangular shape with a curved upperportion. The fish 24 travels between the secondary exit spring 366 and asecond exit guide block 370 over which the spiked face of the exit belt234 travels. In this manner, the fish is delivered to the exit chute362.

The vertical, tail first orientation of the fish 24 as it enters theexit chute 362 is that required by typical fillet machines, such as theBaader Model 175 fillet machine. Thus, no workers are required totransfer the fish 24 between the cutting apparatus of the presentinvention and additional processing equipment, such as a fillet machine.

While the preferred embodiments of the invention has been illustratedand described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be madetherein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:
 1. An apparatus forprocessing a flat fish comprising:(a) measuring means for taking one ormore fish measurements as the fish is advanced in a downstream directionalong a processing path and for producing an output indicative of thefish measurement; (b) controller means for determining the approximategeometry of the fish in response to the output from the measurementmeans and for producing an output signal; and (c) at least one rotatingfin cutter that moves transversely relative to the processing pathtoward and away from the fish, following the approximate geometry of thefish to remove one or more fins of the fish in response to the outputsignal as the fish is advanced along the processing path.
 2. Theapparatus of claim 1, further comprising a holder for holding andcentering the fish so that the fish may be cut along selected paths, theholder comprising:(a) a conveyor having an upper surface upon which thefish rests; and (b) first and second stationary arms extending upwardlyfrom the conveyor for securing and advancing the fish, the first andsecond arms including opposing slanted walls angled so as tosimultaneously hold and center the head of the fish transversely over awidth of the processing path.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein theconveyor further includes a central channel within which the tail of thefish is placed in the downstream direction to center the fish on theconveyor such that the fish advances tail first.
 4. The apparatus ofclaim 3, further comprising a tail spring attached to the conveyor overthe central channel, the tail spring being arranged and configured toplace a downward force on the fish directed into the central channel asthe fish advances beneath the tail spring to aid in positioning andcentering the tail in the central channel.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the measuring means comprise an electric eye that provides anindication of when the tail and the head of the fish each pass apredetermined location.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein themeasuring means comprise opposing jaws biased to a closed position, thejaws including a funnel portion through which the fish pass as they areadvanced to help center the fish and a sensor to detect the opening andclosing of the jaws, wherein the jaws aid in centering the fish as theypass through the funnel portion.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1, whereinsaid at least one fin cutter comprises a right fin cutter disposedadjacent to the right of the fish and a left fin cutter disposedadjacent to the left of the fish.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1 whereinthe fin cutter comprises a circular blade and means to rotate saidcircular blade.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a tailcutter that removes the tail of the fish, in response to the outputsignal, as the fish passes a predetermined downstream location.
 10. Theapparatus of claim 9, wherein the tail cutter is rectangular in shapeand rotates in a direction transverse to the processing path.
 11. Theapparatus of claim 9, wherein the tail cutter removes the tail of thefish with a single rotation of the tail cutter.
 12. The apparatus ofclaim 1, further comprising a head and organ cutter blade that removesthe head and internal organs of the fish, in response to the outputsignal, as the fish passes a predetermined location.
 13. The apparatusof claim 12, wherein the head and organ cutter blade rotates in a pathgenerally transverse to the processing path, and wherein the head andorgan cutter blade comprises a serrated blade having three rectangularsections connected together, the first section cutting through the fishbehind the head, the second section cutting at an angle back past theorgans, and the third section cutting behind the organs, such that thehead and organs are cut from the fish with one strike of the head andorgan cutter blade.
 14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprisingmeans for positively engaging at least one of the upper and lowersurfaces of the fish and for continuously advancing the fish through theapparatus, the means for engaging including one or more belts includingoutwardly projecting spikes that penetrate the fish and advance the fishas the belt moves.
 15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a blade of therotating fin cutter is oriented such that the forward edge of the bladeforms an angle with the processing path.
 16. A method for processing aflat fish, comprising the steps of:(a) advancing the fish through aprocessing apparatus along a processing path; (b) taking one or moremeasurements on the fish while the fish is being advanced along theprocessing path; (c) producing a control signal indicative of theapproximate dimensions of the fish using the measurement; and (d) movingthe fish through rotational fin cutting means for moving in response tothe control signal toward and away from the fish while cutting to cutaround the contour of the fish as the fish is advanced; (f) cutting thetail from the fish as the fish is advanced with a tail blade; (g)cutting the head and organs from the fish with a head and organ blade asthe fish continues to advance; and (h) to following the approximategeometry of the fish to remove one or more fins of the fish.
 17. Themethod of claim 16, further comprising the step of removing the tailfrom the fish with a rotating blade that moves in response to thecontrol signal.
 18. The method of claim 16, wherein the removing stepfurther comprises removing the tail from the fish with a single rotationof the rotating blade.
 19. The method of claim 16, further comprisingthe step of removing the head and organs from the fish using a rotatingblade that moves in response to the control signal.
 20. The method ofclaim 19, wherein the step of removing the head and organs from the fishfurther comprises removing the head and organs from the fish using ablade having three sections connected together, the first sectioncutting through the fish behind the head, the second section cutting atan angle past the organs, and the third section cutting behind theorgans.